The next few days after the realization that I had fallen in love were bitterly cold. I had to call for servants to drape the doors that had already been changed out to heavy wood with wool from the outside. The bitter rains pounded the grounds, turning everything they touched into icicles. It was too cold for me to do anything with my hands, painful cramps running through them when I tried to pick up a brush. In much the same manner, my ladies found it impossible to sew as well. We waited for the palace to warm, knowing that it would adjust to the changes as the main fires were stoked higher and more areas were covered. Still, these few days were boring and had far too much time for me to think.
I was spending my time between dozing on a mat next to one of my ladies and trying to make m
